Return-envelop.



E. A. MURPHY, E. Z. LEWIS & W. V. WILSON.

RETURN ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1916.

1 .,'l 3%. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.v

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

RETURN ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. I916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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' Applicationfi1ed0ctoher-9,'1916. SerialNo. 1%,497. 'j A To all whom it may concern .7

Be it known thatwe, EUGENE MURfHY, ED ARD'Z. LEWIS, and :WALTER Y, WILSON? citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Return-Envelops;

- and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and-to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form" a partof this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in return envelops and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The object of the invention is to produce an envelop which may be used for sending papers to one address, the address appearing on the flap when it is folded'in the normal fashion, outside of the envelop, and for the return or forwarding of the papers to another address which is printed on the envelop in the space normally covered by the flap and which is disclosed to view when the flap is folded within the envelop.

The invention embodies certain novel features of construction by means of which the flap is properly secured in place to re-' tain the papers in the envelop, when the flap is in either of its positions.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved envelop, showing the flap folded upon the outside thereof and secured in that position. 7

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the envelo with the flap folded within the envelop and secured in that position.

Fig. 3 is a partial transverse sectional view of the envelop in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1. 4

Fig. 4: is a similar sectional view in the plane indicated by the line 4r4: of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan'view of a sheet, cut and scored to form the envelop.

Referring now to that embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings;- 10 indicates the sheet that forms the envelop. Said sheet is cut and scored to provide .a back wall 11, a front wall 12, end flaps 13 and a main flap 14.. Said sheet is folded into the envelop form and the flaps 13 are bent over and glued or otherwise attached to the front wall 12 of the envelop in the usual manner- The envelop used to illustrate our invention, aswill beapparent, is

known as the square fold envelop.

Eyelet string fasteners are provided on the front wall 12 of the envelop body and on the flap 14 respectively for securing the envelop flap in its closed position. 15 indicates a string fastener attached to the flap, and 16 and 17 indicate string fasteners attached to the front wall 12 of the envelop. The string fastener 16- is so placed, that when the flap is closed upon the front wall of the envelop or when the flapis tucked within the envelop, it will coincide with the position of the string fastener 15. All of said string fasteners are eyeleted to the envelop in a familiar manner, and while the fastener 16 is not used as an attaching means for the string, its eyelet provides a reinforced hole throu h the front wall 12 of the envelop body or a purpose soon to appear.

A string 18 is permanently attached to the fastener 15 on the flap 14 in the usual manner. When the flap is folded on the outside of the envelop, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3, the'string is wound about the fastener 17 in the usual fashion. An address 19 is printed on the outer face of the flap so that when the flap is folded outside the envelop, this address will appear.

In this particular instance, the address is that of the freight auditor and the envelop would accordingly be forwarded to him. A. second address 20 as shown, that of the station agent, is printed on the face of the front wall 12 of the envelop in the space which is covered by the flap when the flap is folded without the envelop. As is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 5 of the drawings these addresses are printed upon the same face of the sheet 10 that forms the envelop and may thus be printed at the same time, eliminating the necessity of two printing operations upon the same envelop which obviously is quite expensive.

' Whenthe flap 1%1 is inserted within the envelop as indicated in Fig. 2, the string is passed through the reinforced hole provided by the eyelet which attaches the fastener 16 to the envelop and is then carried down and wound about the fastener 17 in the usual fashion. This securely closes the envelop with the flap inside and with the velop to determine whether there is anything within it, without the necessit of actually opening the same. These oles are provided because in the useiofa these envelops by railroads, the station agent is required to send an envelop to the auditor each day for purposes of record-even if he has nothing to send within the same' this being in the usual course or routine of railroads. 7

One of the advantages of our new construction resides in the'fact that, in ma-'- nipulating the flap to disclose either address, said flap is folded in the normal way and in the same direction only, in which it was intended to be folded and this fold is always along the same line. The result is that the life of the envelop in the frequent use to which it is put is greatly lengthened as compared with envelops heretofore made for a similar purpose.

Another advantage'of our improved envelop is that both addresses may be printed upon it by one printing operation, instead of two operations as has heretofore been necessary. 7

A further. advantage of the construction is thatwhen the -flap 14 is in the position body having front and rear walls and an opening at one edge, a flap connected to. said rear wall and adapted to fold down upon the front wall or to be inserted into said openin between said front and rear walls, a string fastener and a string attached to the outer face-of said flap, means providing a reinforced hole in said front wall at a point coinciding with the position of the string fastener on said flap when in a folded position and a second string fastener upon the front wall of the envelop in a position below said flap when the same is in its folded position. v

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our invention we afiix our si atures in the presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of June, A. D. 1916.

EUGENE A. MURPHY. EDWARD z. LEWIS. WALTER v. WILSON. 

